Jeep Cherokee

 Owners Manual

What to do in emergencies » Jacking and tire changing
Jacking instructions

WARNING!

Carefully follow these tire changing warnings to help prevent personal injury or damage to your vehicle:

• Always park on a firm, level surface as far from the edge of the roadway as possible before raising the vehicle.
• Turn on the Hazard Warning flasher.
• Chock the wheel diagonally opposite the wheel to be raised.
• Set the parking brake firmly and set the transmission in PARK.
• Never start or run the engine with the vehicle on a jack.

Do not let anyone sit in the vehicle when it is on a jack.

Do not get under the vehicle when it is on a jack. If you need to get under a raised vehicle, take it to a service center where it can be raised on a lift.

Only use the jack in the positions indicated and for lifting this vehicle during a tire change.

If working on or near a roadway, be extremely careful of motor traffic.

To assure that spare tires, flat or inflated, are securely stowed, spares must be stowed with the valve stem facing the ground.

Jack Warning Label

CAUTION!

Do not attempt to raise the vehicle by jacking on locations other than those indicated in the Jacking Instructions for this vehicle.

1. Remove the spare tire, jack, and wheel bolt wrench.

2. If equipped with aluminum wheels where the center cap covers the wheel bolts, use the wheel bolt wrench to pry the center cap off carefully before raising the vehicle.

3. Before raising the vehicle, use the wheel bolt wrench to loosen, but not remove, the wheel bolts on the wheel with the flat tire. Turn the wheel bolts counterclockwise one turn while the wheel is still on the ground.

4. Place the jack underneath the lift area that is closest to the flat tire. Turn the jack screw clockwise to firmly engage the jack saddle with the lift area of the sill flange, centering the jack saddle inside the cutout in the sill cladding.

Jacking Locations

Rear Jacking Location

Rear Jacking Engagement Point

Front Jacking Location

Front Jacking Engagement Point

5. Raise the vehicle just enough to remove the flat tire.

WARNING!

Raising the vehicle higher than necessary can make the vehicle less stable. It could slip off the jack and hurt someone near it. Raise the vehicle only enough to remove the tire.

6. Remove the wheel bolts and tire.

7. Remove the alignment pin from the jack assembly and thread the pin into the wheel hub to assist in mounting the spare tire.

8. Mount the spare tire.

CAUTION!

Be sure to mount the spare tire with the valve stem facing outward. The vehicle could be damaged if the spare tire is mounted incorrectly.

Mounting Spare Tire

NOTE:

• For vehicles so equipped, do not attempt to install a center cap or wheel cover on the compact spare.
• Refer to "Compact Spare Tire" and to "Limited-Use Spare" under "Tires-General Information" in "Starting and Operating" for additional warnings, cautions, and information about the spare tire, its use, and operation.

9. Install the wheel bolts with the threaded end of the wheel bolt toward the wheel. Lightly tighten the wheel bolts.

WARNING!

To avoid the risk of forcing the vehicle off the jack, do not fully tighten the wheel bolts until the vehicle has been lowered. Failure to follow this warning may result in serious injury.

10. Lower the vehicle to the ground by turning the jack handle counterclockwise.

11. Finish tightening the wheel bolts. Push down on the wrench while at the end of the handle for increased leverage. Tighten the wheel bolts in a star pattern until each wheel bolt has been tightened twice. Refer to "Torque Specifications" in this section for the proper lug bolt torque. If in doubt about the correct tightness, have them checked with a torque wrench by your authorized dealer or at a service station.

Assembled Jack

12. Securely stow the jack, tools, chocks and flat tire.

Stowed Tire, Jack And Chock

WARNING!

A loose tire or jack thrown forward in a collision or hard stop could endanger the occupants of the vehicle.

Always stow the jack parts and the spare tire in the places provided. Have the deflated (flat) tire repaired or replaced immediately.

Jack location/spare tire stowage

Preparations for jacking

Jacking instructions

Road tire installation